"This is how I see this whole story ending: Somebody comes forward, says they lost the ring, says they're insured and have the papers to prove it. That's how I'm hoping this ends. So far, it's not that way, but we'll see. Only time will tell," said Thompson.

Well, you're probably going to have to ask them to describe the ring to you in greater detail. Unless you stupidly described it for them in your Facebook post that the article isn't directly linking to for some reason.

Lost and found: A Goodwill shopper found a diamond ring in the pocket of capri pants bought at our Coon Rapids store. Now she needs your help to find its owner. Check out this story and direct message us if this ring could be yours. Please include a description of your ring; an image is even better. We trust the ring will be back on the finger of its happy owner soon!

Lost and found: A Goodwill shopper found a diamond ring in the pocket of capri pants bought at our Coon Rapids store. Now she needs your help to find its owner. Check out this story and direct message us if this ring could be yours. Please include a description of your ring; an image is even better. We trust the ring will be back on the finger of its happy owner soon!

And about a $6500 diamond ring: a friend of mine bought his wife's engagement ring at a pawn shop for $300. His then-fiancee was so impressed by the ring, she looked up the ring on the internet and found it being sold by the original manufacturer for $2500.

So, what's this $6500 diamond ring really worth on the used market? I'm thinking drop a zero from it for retail sale, and divide that number by 3 if you're trying to sell it.

The article says the ring was in a ball of lint. I'm picturing someone giving the pants a quick check, reaching in the pocket and pulling out the lint ball. Then he or she says "Meh, just lint" and puts it back in the pocket.

Birnone:The article says the ring was in a ball of lint. I'm picturing someone giving the pants a quick check, reaching in the pocket and pulling out the lint ball. Then he or she says "Meh, just lint" and puts it back in the pocket.

Genta:remember, de beers made diamonds value much higher than they should be....

so... good luck selling that ring for anything more than wholesale value.

it's a semi precious stone... for a reason

Yeah, the reason artificial jewelry grade diamonds haven't flooded the market is that DeBeer's and the other major players could undercut the cost of production. I haven't looked into what % of industrial diamonds are natural but I bet they carry the base costs of the mining concerns.

Oh, and I don't know how automated diamond cutting is. It is a skilled profession but once you apply some AI to the topic you probably could reduce the skill level to that of a call center employee.

Ask people to describe the ring. Silver? Gold? What kind/color of stone? Size? Men or ladies?Bonus points for have a picture of themselves/family wearing it. Do not tip them off by telling them any details. Extra bonus points for describing the pants it was in(although if one donated multiple pairs months ago, this may not be possible)

abhorrent1:"I need to find the owner, and I'd love to hear the story of how it got in there,"

Not sure what kind of swashbuckling adventure she's expecting. My guess is they took it off and stuck it in their pocket to do some shiatty chore and forgot.

I was thinking the same thing. Why is it that people need to believe that every slightly unusual event that happens to them must be a byproduct of some fantastic adventure? She'll eventually get her story and if it isn't exciting enough it will get embellished a bit eachtime she tells it to someone. Eventually it will wind up as a gripping tale in which she becomes a selfless hero in the end. It will be retold by her so many times that her friends and family will roll their eyes and want to smoother her with a pillow every time she recounts her escapade.

I cannot understand why anyone would "try to find the owner" of the ring. There are morals in this world, yes. Thank goodness for that. But the ring was forgotten to a point where it ended up in the pocket of [ugly] pants that were donated to Goodwill. Whoever owned that ring didn't give a fark about it anyway.

To that end, if it were me (and I hope I never have to shop at Goodwill), I would have had that ring appraised and sold the day I found it.